Automatic weighing and dumping machine.



No. 889,281. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

' R. D. WEBB.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND DUMPING MACHINE.

APPL IOATION FILED OUT. 5, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wi tmoow A @t 7 A flttouwigo PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908. R. D. WEBB.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING AND DUMPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 5, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- awuwvtov WWW. 740M 4 o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4 ROBERT D. WEBB, OF M INDEN, LOUISIANA.

AUTOKA'IIO WIIGBING DUMPING MACHINE.

Specification 0! Letters Patent.

, Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed October 6, '1907. Serial No. 896,081.

* pose of the invention is to provide in such a machine means wherebythe scale beam which is in weighing position will be free to move for agiven initial distance from said osition without being retarded orintercred with by any other art of the mechanism, so that the scale w' Iweigh accurately. After moving said initial distance-from its weighingposition the rising scale beam releases the other beam of the machinewhich then aids in the operation of the mechanism. In the accompanyingdrawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, the supportingframe being shown-in central vertical section; Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the machine; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section throughthe feed hop er, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view bf one of t e scalebeams.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates a suitable frame in the upper partof which, between the sides 1. and 2, are mounted scale beams B and B Afeed chute E is arranged centrally in the upper part of the frame, and

the scale beams are pivoted at op osite sides of the chute uponknife-edge earings 3, which fit into suitable cups in the sides of theframe. The scale beams are alike in construction, each beam, as shownbest in Fig. 4, com rising parallel bars 4 and 5, connected y across-piece 6, said bars being provided with knife-edge bearings 3 forsupporting the beam, and the longer arm 4 car rying adjustable weights'w. Receptacles D and D are suspended from the shorter arms of the beams'B and B- respectively, said receptacles having ears 7 which arepivotally connected to the beams near the pivotal points or bearings ofthe beams. Each receptacle has a gate or valve 8 at its lower endwhichis mountedu on a rock-shaft 9 having cranks 10 at the si es of thereceptacle connected to toggle-levers 11. The shafts 9 upon therock-shaft 19.

also carry weighted arms n to normally overbalance and close the gates8. Links 12 connect the ends of the shorter arms of the scale beam withthe toggle-levers as shown, the arrangement being such that when thescale beam is in horizontal position the toggle levers connected theretowill be straightened and the valve or gate will be closed, and when thescale beam is tilted the toggle levers will be flexed and the valve orgate opened. The rods 12 have slots 8 at their upper ends through whichpins 8' on the by rests or stops X attached to the receptacles, thusallowing for lost motion between the rods and beams, so that during theinitial movement of a beam from its horizontal position it will not beobstructed or retarded y ressure or friction against the rods.

he feed chute E has a valve or gate 14 ar-' ranged within the chute andmounted on .a rock-shaft 13 which is provided with a crank 16, and saidcrank is connected to one end of a lever 18, which is journaled at itscenter upon the rock-shaft 19, the latter being jourbeams extend, andthese rods are supported naled in upward extensions 1 and 2 of the frameand extending through the feed hopper or chute. The rock shaft 13 alsohas .a

crank 16*.whichis connected to the lever 18 arranged parallel with thelever 18 upon the opposite-side of the hop er, and journaled hen thelevers 18 and 18' are rocked in one direction, it Will be evident that,through the connections described, the valve 14 will be moved, inonedirection and when the levers are rocked in the opposite direction theposition "of the valve will be reversed, so that, according to theposition of the valve, the material to be weighed will be directed intoone or the other of the receptacles.

The upper end of the lever 18 is connected by a link 23 to a standard 24which projects upwardly from the scale beam B, being sc cured to saidbeam above its pivotal point,

and the upper end of the lever 18*- is connected by a link 25 to astandard 26 which is connected to the beam B above the pivotal point ofthe latter. Each standard may have a weight 27 at its upper end. Thelinks 23 and 25 are connected to the standards by means permitting alimited amount of play or lost motion between the standards and thelinks. Thus, the link 23 has a slot 23 throu h which a pin 28 on thestandard extends an the link 25,'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, hasa onto a fixed sup ort 30, thus raising the slotted end of the ever 23slightly and taking the Weight of said lever off of the pin 28 onthescale beam. Similarly, the line 25 has a cam-surface 25 on its lowerside which rides onto a fixed sup ort 31 when the standard 26 moves fromt e inclined to the vertical position, thus takin the weight of the linkoff of the pin 29. hen a scale beam is in the horizontal or weighingposition, therefore, and the weighted standard poised in the verticalposition,- the link connecting the lever with the valve mechanism is outof frictional engagement with the standard and does not interfere withthe initial movement of the scale beam.

Upon the opposite ends of the rock shaft 19 are arranged cranks 32and-33, at an angle to one another. 'A link 34 is pivoted at one end tothe crank 32 and the opposite end of the link has a slot 34 which isengaged by a lin pin 35 upon the standard 24; Similarly, a ink '36,pivoted at one end to the crank 33, has a slot 36 at its opposite endwhich is enga ed by a pin 37 upon the standard 26. The 34 is extendedbeyond the standard 24 and has a cam-surface34 which rides u onto afixed stop 38 when the standard 24 is brought to the vertical position,raising the end of the link off of the pin 35. In the same way, the link36 has a cam-surface 36 which rides on to a fixed support 39 when thestandard 26 moves into the vertical o'sition, thus raising the link outof frictiona engagement with the pin 37.

In Fig. l of the drawing, the scale beam B is shown in the weighingposition and the scale beam B in the discharging position. It will benoted that the scale beam B is held in the inclined position by the link34 and crank 32, which are substantially in line with one another, or oncenter, the crank .32

resting against a stop 32.. The lever 18, for operating the valve isalso held stationary by the link 23 which is connected to the inclinedstandard 24 and to the lever 18. The valve 8 of the receptacle D is alsoheld open to per-- mit material to discharge from said receptacle, andthe valve 8 of the receptacle D is maintained closed, to retain materialtherein. The links 25 and 36, being held out of frictional engagement,with the pins on the standard of the scale beam B, and the rods 12 beingalso held out of frictional engagement with the pins 8 on the scalebeams, it will be seen that whenever sufficient material has'passed intothe receptacle D to overcome the weights on the beam, the beam will movefreely for a short distance, having no friction to overcome other thanthe friction of the knife-edge bearings 3. After the standard has moveda short distance from its vertical or poised position, and the partshave ained sufficient momentum to move the lin 25 and 36 and themechanism connected therewith, the pins on the standard en age the lefthand walls of the slots in said lin s and force the links to the left inFig. 1. The link 36'then rocks the crank 33 toward the horizontalposition and causes the crank 32 to swing upwardly out of line with thelink 34, so that the beam B can swing back into its horizontal positionand the l1nk36 will comeinto line with the crank 33, looking thestandard 26 and scale beam B in the inclined'positions. While thestandard 26 is moving into the inclined position it also rocks the lever18" through the medium of the link 25 and the valve mechanism connectedwith said lever is thereby moved thus moving the valve 14, shutting offthe supply of material to the receptacle D and admit ting material tothe receptacle D. As the beam B tilts, the rods 12 flex the toggle 11and open thedischarge valve 8 at the bottom of the receptacle D, dumpingthe material therein, and as the beam B returns to the horizontalposition, the rods 12 and counterweight 0 connected with the togglelevers 11 on the receptacle D, straighten the toggles against the stopsm and close the discharge valve 8 at the bottom of said latterreceptacle. It willbe evident thatwhen the receptacle D again receivessufiicient material to tilt the beam B, said beam will a ain rock intothe position shown in Fig. l, the initial movement of the beam takingplace without being attended by any friction or obstruction from themechanism, which it starts .to o erate after it has gained somemomentum. Thus, the two beams will operate alternately and weigh asaccurately as any ordinary scale. As eachstandard moves from theinclined to the vertical position, the links connected therewith ride onto the fixed stops and thus hold the links out of frictional enagementwith the standards, while the eams are in the weighing positions, and aseach beam comes into-horizontal weighing position the rods 12 resectively ride on stops as and are thus hel 'out of frictional engagementwith the beams while they are in weighing position. The slots in theupper ends of rods 12 being sufficiently lar e to allow for vibration inthe receptacle being filled. The stops as may be provided with rollersto engage rods 12 in order to reduce the friction at this point, ifdesired.

The object of the invention is to permit the scale beam to move toacertain extent from the weighing position freely, that is, withoutencountering any obstruction or friction, in order that the apparatusmay weigh with g'reat'accuracy. After the scale begins to tip the weight27 will become efl'ective to assist in operating the mechanism and willassist in sup lying the power necessary to break the togg e 11 and openthe valve or gate 8.

Without limiting myself to the specific design and arrangement of partsshown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis,

1'. The combination with the scale beams of an automatic weighing anddumping machine, of a receptacle supported by each scale beam andprovided with a movable gate or valve, a toggle connecting the gate orvalve to the receptacle, and a connection between the toggle and thescale beam, said connection being constructed to permit the scale beamto move slightly without disturbing the toggle when the valve or gate isclosed.

2. The combination with the scale beams of an automatic weighing anddumping machine, of a receptacle supported by each scale beam andprovided with a movable gate or valve, a toggle connecting the gate orvalve to the receptacle, and a link connecting the toggle and the scalebeam, the connection between the link and one of said parts beingarranged toprovide for lost motion.

3. The combination with the scale beams of an automatic weighing anddumping machine, of a receptacle supported by each scale beam andprovided with a movable gate or valve, a toggle connecting the gate orvalve to the receptacle, and a link connecting the toggle and the scalebeam, said link having a pivotal connection with one of said parts and apin-and-slot connection with the other.

4.- The combination with the scale beam 7 of an automatic weighing anddumping machine, of a receptacle supported by the scale or valve and thescale beam whereby the former is operated by the latter, the saidconnections being constructed to permit the scale beam to move from itsweighing position before the opening movement of the gate or valvebegins.

6. In an automatic weighing and dumping machine, the combination of thescale beams, receptacles supported by each beam, a discharge gate orvalve for each receptacle, lost motion connections between the gates orvalves and the scale beams, and means for holding said connections outof frictional engagement with the scale beams respectively while saidbeams are in weighing position.

7. In an automatic weighing and dumping machine, the combination of thescale beams -with standards projecting therefrom, and

mechanism loosely connecting said standards whereby each standard isalternately locked in fixed position as the receptacles connected withthe scale beams are alternately filled, and discharge valves connectedto the receptacles and mechanism loosely connecting said valves to thescale beams whereby each valve is alternately locked in fixed osition asthe receptacles are alternately filed and discharged.

8. In an automatic weighing and dumping machine, the combination of thescale beams with standards projecting therefrom, and mechanism looselyconnecting said standards whereby each standard is alternately locked infixed position as the receptacles connected with the scale beams arevalternately filled, and discharge valves connected to the recep taclesand mechanism loosely connecting said valves to the scale beams wherebyeach valve is alternately locked in fixed osition as the receptacles arealternately filed and discharged, and means for holding said mechanismsrespectively and alternately out of frictional engagement with thestandards and the scale beams when the said scale beams are in weighingosition.

In testimony whereo- I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.I

ROB'I. D. WEBB.

Witnesses:

S. F. MARTIN, N. R. GRIGsBY.

